15 MARCH 2011

HIGHLIGHTS

Greening Household Behaviour shows that enlightened public policies help people make the right choices : Press release | Book announcement | Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

OECD Secretary-General Gurría expresses sympathy with the people of Japan: Press release

OECD PUBLISHING NEWS

OECD Subscription Prices for 2011: Prices

OECD publications will be on exhibit at the following events in the coming months:

• Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), 30 March - 2 April 2011, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• UKSG, 4-6 April 2011, Harrogate, UK
• Deutscher Bibliothekartag, 7-10 June 2011, Berlin, Germany
• Special Libraries Association, 12-15 June 2011, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• American Libraries Association, 23-28 June 2011, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
• Österreichischer Bibliothekartag, 18-21 October, Innsbruck, Austria
  

AGRICULTURE/FOOD/FISHERIES

Forthcoming
-Agriculture and Food: Feeding Nine Billion People (OECD Insights Series): Book listing

BUSINESS & MARKETS

The Criminalisation of Bribery in Asia and the Pacific: Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

Asset Declarations for Public Officials: A Tool to Prevent Corruption: Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

OECD PISA testing 15-year-olds on Financial Literacy: Announcement

Promoting Orderly Capital Flows: Website

Forthcoming
-Risk Awareness, Capital Markets and Catastrophic Risks: Book listing
-Competitiveness and Private Sector Development: Kazakhstan 2010: Sector Competitiveness Strategy: Book listing
-Corporate Governance in Slovenia 2011: Book listing
-Corporate Governance in Israel 2011: Book listing
-Asset Declarations for Public Officials: A Tool to Prevent Corruption: Book listing
-Economic Diversification in Africa: A Review of Selected Countries: Book listing

DEVELOPMENT

Aid in Support of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Webpages

The Macroeconomic Effects of Large Exchange Rate Appreciations: Working paper

Ascendance by Descendants? On Intergenerational Education Mobility in Latin America: Working paper

Forthcoming:
-Economic Diversification in Africa: A Review of Selected Countries: Book listing

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

OECD Economics Department Working Papers:
-No. 848: How Efficient Are Banks in Hungary?

The Impact of Structural Reforms on Current Account Imbalances: Policy Note (PDF - 330 kb)

The Effects of Oil Price Hikes on Economic Activity and Inflation: Policy Note (PDF - 301 kb)

Forthcoming
-OECDEconomic Surveys: United Kingdom 2011: Book listing
-OECD Economic Surveys: Italy: Book listing
-OECD Economic Surveys: Estonia 2011: Book listing
-Economic Policy Reforms 2011: Going for Growth: Book listing

ECONOMIC STATISTICS

OECD unemployment rate falls in January for second consecutive month to 8.4%: Press release

OECD composite leading indicators continue pointing to expansion: Press release

OECD annual inflation rate steady at 2.1%: Press release

Merchandise trade growth accelerates in fourth quarter of 2010 in most major economies: Press release

Forthcoming
-National Accounts of OECD Countries, Main Aggregates 2011: Book listing
-National Accounts of OECD Countries, Financial Accounts 2010: Book listing

EDUCATION

OECD PISA testing 15-year-olds on Financial Literacy: Announcement

Educationtoday: OECD's collaborative space to help shape the post-crisis economy and society: Educationtoday

Forthcoming
-Reviews of National Policies for Education: Kyrgyz Republic 2010 Lessons from PISA: Book listing
-PISA 2009 at a Glance: Book listing
-Quality Time for Students: Learning In and Out of School: Book listing

EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS

Greater gender equality - a moral and economic imperative, says OECD’s Gurría on International Women's Day: Press release

Forthcoming
-Pensions at a Glance 2011: Book listing
-Society at a Glance 2011: OECD Social Indicators: Book listing

ENERGY

IEA Expresses Condolences to Japanese People: Press release

Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Poland 2011: Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

Technology Development Prospects for the Indian Power Sector: Working paper

Cost and Performance of Carbon Dioxide Capture from Power Generation: Working paper

ENVIRONMENT

Greening Household Behaviour shows that enlightened public policies help people make the right choices : Press release | Book announcement | Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

Better Policies to Support Eco-innovation: Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

Forthcoming
-Environmental Impacts of International Shipping: Book Listing
-OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Portugal 2011: Book listing
-OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Norway 2011: Book listing

HEALTH

Forthcoming
-Help Wanted? Providing and Paying for Long-Term Care: Book listing

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

OECD to hold workshop on Consumer Protection in Online and Mobile Payments: Announcement

NUCLEAR ENERGY

Message from the Director-General of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan: Message (Also find additional information on the nuclear energy aspects of the event on this page)

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

Asset Declarations for Public Officials: A Tool to Prevent Corruption: Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

Strengthening the Institutional Setting for Regulatory Reform: Working paper

Forthcoming:
-Value for Money in Government: The Netherlands 2010: Book listing
-OECD Urban Policy Reviews, Poland 2011: Book listing
-Lobbyists, Governments and Public Trust, Volume 2: Promoting integrity through Self-Regulation: Book listing

SCIENCE , TECHNOLOGY & INDUSTRY

Better Policies to Support Eco-innovation: Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

Skills for Innovation and Research: Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary

Forthcoming:
-OECD Reviews of Regional Innovation: Basque Country, Spain 2011: Book listing

SMEs & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Forthcomimg:
-Entrepreneurship at a Glance 2010: Book listing

TAXATION

Consumption Tax Trends 2010: VAT/GST and Excise Rates, Trends and Administration Issues: Book on Online Bookshop | Book on OECD iLibrary (PDF available on iLibrary and OB now. Printed book to come out next month)

Spain signs updated Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters: Press release

Tackling Aggressive Tax Planning through Improved Transparency and Disclosure: Report on Disclosure Initiatives: Report (PDF - 2.97 mb)

OECD invites comments on new project on the administrative aspects of transfer pricing: Announcement

TRADE

International Trade by Commodity Statistics, Volume 2010 Issue 1: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States: Subscribe to periodical | Publication on OECD iLibrary

Trade in raw materials: breaking free from export restrictions: Policy brief (PDF - 110 kb)

Merchandise trade growth accelerates in fourth quarter of 2010 in most major economies: Press release

OECD invites China and Russia to join new aircraft financing agreement: Press release

TRANSPORTATION

Recovery Continues in Global Freight Transport - Uncertainties Remain: ITF Statistics Brief (PDF - 352 kb)

Lessons from the Breakdown: Making Transport More Reliable: Article

Jack Short on the new look of the International Transport Forum: Article

Electric Vehicles: A Tentative Economic and Environmental Evaluation: Working paper

Forthcoming:
-Environmental Impacts of International Shipping: Book Listing

FROM THE OECD FACTBLOG

Unpaid work
From housework and homemaking to gardening and local activities, both women and men do so-called “unpaid work” on top of their paid jobs. But according to Cooking, Caring and Volunteering: Unpaid Work Around the World (OECD 2011), women do more unpaid work than men in every country. Read more

FROM THE OECD INSIGHTS BLOG

White pox, dynamite, cyanide and coral
Coral can tell us a lot about the Earth. In his first scientific book, The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, published in 1842, Charles Darwin sets out the notion that change is the natural state of our planet, an inspiration he was to pursue and refine for the next 17 years, culminating in The Origin of Species. In the OECD Insights Fisheries: While Stocks Last? we describe the overexploitation of  coral reefs. The million tons of fish taken from them each year is three times beyond the sustainability limit. Deep-water reefs support fish populations, but they snag nets until bottom trawlers come along and pulverise them. And when nets and traps no longer find anything, fishermen, imitating the aquarium trade, use explosives or cyanide to stun the fish and make them easy to catch. Read more

An age of opportunity?
As Alphonse Allais pointed out, having money is a great help in coping with poverty. And there’s plenty of data to show that investing in basics like health and education pays dividends. UNICEF’s 2011 State of the World’s Children Report shows progress across a whole range of indicators, including under-five mortality rates, access to clean water, and vaccinations. The second decade of life has received less attention though, and without sustained efforts, the gains made in early childhood can be wiped out. In Off to a Good Start? Jobs for Youth the OECD says that young people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as the average worker, yet few governments are taking proactive steps to boost youth employment. Read more

Towards a Green Growth Strategy
Interview with Nathalie Girouard on the outcome of OECD's Green Growth Workshop. Read more

The Race for the Green House
During the “space race”, as we called it back in the Atomic Age, US inventor Paul C. Fisher developed a pen with a gas-pressurised cartridge that he claimed could write in zero gravity. NASA bought them, while the Russians used pencils. A reminder that the best solutions don’t have to be high tech or complicated. I thought about this on seeing Greening Household Behaviour: The Role of Public Policy, published today by the OECD. Years ago, a Swedish collective housing project was looking for ways to cut water heating bills. Everything failed, until somebody came up with the winner. Every household was given a free plastic basin for the washing up, and they stopped letting the hot water run when doing the dishes. The OECD book suggests an even more obvious solution: charge people for what they use. Read more

Changing the care-less economy
When, twenty years ago, I became Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) working group on women in development (now the Network on Gender Equality), a key issue was the impact on women of the economic policy reforms – structural adjustment programmes – that donors had been encouraging partner countries to adopt. Writing at that time, Diane Elson explained that because the economy has conventionally been understood in relation to making money, much of the work that takes place outside the market economy is ignored. This includes not only unpaid work in family farms and businesses but also the feeding, caring for and ensuring the well being of families and neighbours. Read more

Women and money
Elderly women in OECD countries are 30% more likely than men to be poor. Women receive $75,000 dollars less pension on average over their lifetime than men, despite living 5.6 years longer. But whatever their age, poverty rates for women in OECD countries are higher than for men. It’s not just that women generally earn less than men. Where money is concerned, there are also big gender differences in knowledge and skills. Research in the US and other countries shows that women are less likely than men to give the correct answer to financial knowledge questions. They are also more likely to lack confidence in their own skills, be cautious investors, and to have insufficient funds for retirement. This cautious approach does have advantages but can severely impact on retirement funds. Studies in the US suggest that women’s retirement pots are, on average, a third smaller than men’s. Read more

Women's economic empowerment - it's about money and more
“We stress that investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency and sustained economic growth.” (para. 54 of "Keeping the promise:  United to achieve the Millennium Development Goals". At last year’s Millennium Summit, investing in women’s and girls’ rights was front and centre – the breakthrough strategy for achieving all the Millennium Development Goals.  Even though it is often said that investing in gender equality yields some of the highest returns of all development efforts, are women central to the aid provided by OECD member countries to the economic and productive sectors? Read more

Great expectations
For most of the 20th century, educators and policy makers despaired over girls’ underachievement in school and sought ways to overcome the social and cultural impediments to girls’ equal access to education. Results from the OECD’s most recent PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) survey, which directly involved more than half a million 15-year-olds (as proxy for some 28 million students) in 74 countries and economies (representing 90% of the world economy), show how many of those impediments have been toppled. Read more

Women: The future of our economies? by Angel Gurría
On the 100th Anniversary of the International Women’s Day, have we achieved equal opportunity, even in the developed countries? No, women are not equal on the labour market, in entrepreneuship or in politics. Women spend twice as much time as men in unpaid caring activities. Women are still under-represented in key education fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Women are less likely to work for pay, tend to work less hours, have lower hourly wages, are concentrated in less well-paid sectors, etc. They are also less likely to reach decision-making positions, in either public or private sectors. In politics, women still hold only 20% of seats in Parliaments; only a very few country show parity in their governments; and only 15 women are Head of states or governments. Read more

From Mad Men to sad women
One of the most popular television shows on at the moment – “Mad Men” – portrays the lives of advertising executives in the early 1960s. It’s a world where doctors encourage smoking, lunchtime drinking is the norm, and the roles of men and women are very clearly and separately defined. Watching it is a reminder of just how much attitudes have changed in the last half-century, not least in terms of the vastly expanded options available to women today at home and in the work place. Read more